Competing in the Game of Life

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (1 Corinthians 9:25).

When I watch the winter Olympics, my favorite events are those involving figure skating. I am struck by the beauty of the artistic programs. I am awed by the jumps and spins. I am impressed by the condition that the athletes are in. And I am humbled, knowing that I could never begin to do what these talented individuals are accomplishing through their rigorous discipline and training.

God calls on you and I to be Olympians as well. He doesn’t necessarily expect us to go out for ice hockey or skiing or curling, but He does expect us to go into strict training. The event we are to train for is the event called life. Our Lord wants us to train for life the same way that an athlete trains for the Olympics—with single-minded determination.

Life has a goal—to receive the Crown of Life. That crown is bestowed by God when we die. The Crown of life is a special crown—it raises to life those who have died, raises them so that they can enter paradise. This is the most coveted crown of all—worth far more than any gold medal.
In each Olympic event, only one gold medal is awarded. Thankfully, there is more than one Crown of Life—in fact, there is a Crown of Life for you, for me, for everyone who strives to win it. We are not in competition with each other to get into heaven; no, we are in competition with ourselves—the lazy, uncaring, selfish part of us that would rather give up the event and take it easy, and let eternal death claim us without a struggle.

To win the prize that God bestows, we need to take life seriously. To win the slalom, you need to stay on the course and not get tangled up in the flags; similarly, we need to navigate through life while trying to avoid getting entangled with sin. This is not easy—it takes effort and commitment. Thankfully, as we compete in life, we have the best of coaches—Jesus the Son of God. He offers us the healthy diet of His teachings. He uses the Bible to show the way to the finish line. He encourages us and strengthens us, and when we fall He picks us up, wipes us off, and gets us back into the game. With Jesus as both our coach and our judge, we can skate to victory everlasting.